Alberta labour legislation under the Social Credit Government: 1935-1947

Alberta's Social Credit government was elected in August, 1935, at a time when labour legislation consisted of a handful of pieces of protective legislation and a rarely used arbitration act. By 1947, Alberta had the basic outline of the modern, sophisticated labour legislation it now possesses. That same period of time saw drastic changes in labour legislation across the entire of North America in response to numerous factors, among them the Depression and the Second World War.;This thesis traces the development of labour legislation in the Province of Alberta from 1935 to 1947. It explores how Alberta dealt with the continent-wide changes in labour legislation and examines the shift from a basically British common law system of labour relations to an American-style regulatory system.;The rise to power and election of the Social Credit in 1935 are briefly examined. There is some discussion of the Social Credit orientation towards legislation generally and labour legislation in particular. Attitudes towards workers and unions are discussed. The origins and development of Anglo-Canadian labour law until 1935, and American labour law of the New Deal era are examined. There follows a survey of the labour legislation enacted by the Social Credit Government from 1935 to 1947 with emphasis on the possible motivations and sources of input that legislation. Dominion and other provincial legislation is contrasted where appropriate. Administration of the legislation and administrative structure are examined. Major labour disputes during the period are used to highlight problem areas and indicate attitudes of government, labour organizations and the general population. While previous writers have tended towards viewing the Social Credit as being highly conservative and holding a general anti-labour bias, in this thesis, the Social Credit Government is generally presented as progressive and enlightened on labour matters during this period.